AJC Poll: War in Iran creates another deep split among Georgia voters
The United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran is technically on pause while a fragile ceasefire is in effect.
But Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused the cost of oil and fertilizer to skyrocket, which is affecting farmers and motorists in the U.S. As a result, the war is deeply unpopular among most voters and considered one of the issues weighing down President Donald Trump’s approval ratings and threatening Republicans in competitive races this year.
Democrats, picking up on general skepticism of the war and its effect on the president’s popularity, have made it an issue on the campaign trail. That includes U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is up for reelection this year in a Senate seat Republicans hope to flip.
Ossoff called it “Donald Trump’s war” during a keynote speech at the Democratic Party of Georgia’s annual gala last month and spoke about the rising number of casualties, the effect on rising prices and the drain on the federal budget.
“And for all this, the White House said they already need $200 billion after six weeks,” Ossoff said. “That’s 10 years of nationwide pre-K. That’s nine years of paid family and medical leave.”
Although Democrats and independents give the war low marks, Republicans are more willing to trust Trump’s narrative that the war is necessary to remove Iran as a nuclear threat.
“It’s absolutely justified,” said Neil Wein, a conservative voter in Gainesville. “It needed to happen 45 years ago.”
There is only one change that would give Wein pause: U.S. troops being sent into Iran. But even so, he would defer to Trump.
“If that’s what the president thinks needs to happen, I’m going to back the president,” he said.
An overwhelming majority of Republican primary voters polled by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 73%, said they approved of the war with Iran. But opposition from Democrats is even stronger, with 95% saying they disapprove.
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Hampton daycare owner Tamarra Johnson said the war has been a waste of taxpayer funds and lacks clear justification.
“It’s just a lot of stealing, insider trading, money grab — it’s all a money grab,” she said. “And the casualties are going to be our troops.”
Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed in the war, and more than 300 have been injured. More than 3,400 people have been killed in the conflict overall, according to reporting by Time magazine, and at least 413 were children.
“They need to sign up their own kids to go to that war, not force mine,” Johnson said of lawmakers who back the war.
The biggest impact domestically has been at the gas pump.
The average price per gallon nationwide was $4.54 Wednesday, a 44% increase compared with one year ago, according to AAA. Georgia is one of the cheapest states at $4.05 a gallon, but that is still up 39% from a year ago, when the average across the state was $2.91.
Gas prices are the highest seen since 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to concerns about global supply as demand was increasing following the COVID-19 pandemic.
National polls show the war with Iran is increasingly unpopular. A new PBS News/Marist poll found that 60% disapprove of the way Trump is handling the war, up from 54% in March.
This conflict is also further eroding U.S. support for Israel, despite the long-standing partnership between both nations.
Nationally, negative views of Israel continue to rise, a trend that took hold in the aftermath of its war with Hamas in Gaza. Yet partisan divides persist here, too.
The recent AJC poll found that just 27% of Democrats believe that supporting Israel is in the national interest of the United States, compared with 55% who do not.
Among Republicans, 81% said it was important for the U.S. to continue to to support Israel, compared with 13% who said it is not in the national interest.
Norman Hager, a Republican voter who lives in Kathleen, said his Christian faith informs his opinion that Israel is always worth defending.
“If you believe in the Bible, those are God’s chosen people,” he said. “And I think the world should stand up behind them. They’ve been through enough.”
Tom Graham, a Democrat who lives in Roswell, said a new generation of voters are requiring elected officials to consider a new approach toward Israel.
“The support has wavered over time,” he said. “I think that there’s a lot to be said for the United States to reevaluate its relationship with Israel.”
About the Author
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
